The lack of hyped-up media (such as tabloid papers) meaning kids' role models tend to be sportsmen and women rather than pop stars and "it" girls/boys

The variety and availability of every sport you can imagine - to watch or take part in

The politeness and self-possession of the average aussie teenager

The friendliness and helpfulness of complete strangers

The accessibility of everything - you can have an affordable house in a reasonable suburb, and still nip into the City of an evening for a show or a band or a meal without it taking ages and costing a fortune (I don't think you could do that in somewhere like Sydney so much) and at weekends you can park on City streets for 20c!

The Bad

The lack of a decent "spoken word" radio station - why can the BBC produce dramas and documentaries on the radio, and the ABC just can't seem to get it?

The lack of decent satire - does seem that the aussies find it very hard to laugh at themselves sometimes, something that we Brits excel at

The price of holidays compared to package tours from the UK (was just saying today that the one thing I'd have done with the kids if we lived in the UK was take them skiing regularly - here it's just too expensive)

The "Who you Know" not "What you Know" thing here

The lack of manners on the roads

I miss decent pubs and pub meals

The Ugly

The insularity of the place - if it's not happening in Australia, you have to really struggle to find out about it!

The fact that family are so far away, and none of us are getting any younger...

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Guest WhatNow?

Guest WhatNow?

Hello Diane, Hmmm - I can really see the Aussies paying a licence fee just to get good spoken word radio (not) - but I agree. I use the BBC iPlayer all the time but the main downside is the awful download and streaming speed. Roll on High Speed Broadband!

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and strongly agree the growth in confidence with my kids although still being kids longer

the warmer months of the beach and socialising so you can forget the daily stresses

and the fact that people are so easy going most of the time

finding such great friends in such a short time frame that you know will be friends for many years to come:)

When a kangaroo bounds accross main south road and you have to swerve - a nice reminder we are away from the very packed uk (as long as i dont ever hit one)

bad- (cant really think of much as its just the same as anywhere you live really with the daily struggles of life and money and not even in a happy place at the moment:()

the its WHO you know not what you know when trying to get jobs (oh struggling and no replies)

and the cliquey groups/people who whinge all that is not the uk - its a whole different country thats why peeps.

and just a bug bear (which is inn the uk to) graffiti?? some are fantsatic pieces of art but why just scrawl names and tags. baffles me

cant think of too much else at the minute although when i stop juggling 3 jobs i may have time to think and add to the good list

ugly -

nothings ever that bad i dont feel to be honest and everything gets better in the end cause it has too

I have days when i am just driving and see the blue sea and feel so pleased we live here and i feel content in where have chosen to bring our boys up and then some days (not many though) i do feel like an alien in a strange country but it still looks beautiful.